After-Death Communications: Calling Cards from Heaven

• Awakened Living

There’s a special language that transcends time and space—a language that’s not constrained by the limitations of just words, but instead consists of signs, symbols, energy, and thoughts. This language can be heard and seen only when you truly pay attention . . . It’s the language of Spirit.

Once a loved one passes and has settled again, they often do everything in their power to get your attention. When they send a sign, they’re trying to tell us that they’ve survived death, that they love us, that they want us to live our lives to the fullest. Be watchful and pay attention, as it could be they who sent you that rainbow; that familiar song you heard on the radio; that special dream in which they appeared happy, healthy, and strong. Equally, it may be one of nature’s beautiful creatures they so loved that suddenly appears, or the wonderful aroma of their favorite flower, or even a gentle touch on your face that you thought was just a breeze. They want you to know, “I love you, I am not gone, I am here right beside you. You may not see me, but I am here.”

Many of us have experienced synchronistic events or received signs and symbols from those on the Other-Side. It’s easy, however, to miss them or conveniently explain them away as “coincidences.” In fact, I recently received a sign that I came close to explaining away — even though I’ve been doing this work for many years!

I was walking past my kitchen counter one night, thinking of my mom who had passed a few years before. Suddenly I heard a clink. I noticed that the pens and pencils I had in a cup on the counter somehow all shifted to the other side of the cup. Earlier the pens and pencils were on the right of the cup, and now all of them lay to the left. I remember thinking to myself, Mmm, it must have created a breeze when I was walking by. Yeah, right! How fast would I have had to been walking to create that type of wind current? I thought about it and realized there is no way those pens could have moved on their own. With a big smile on my face, I said, “Thanks, Mom! I get the message!”

It’s important to stress here that ADCs are not facilitated through a psychic or a medium. You don’t need some sort of tool to receive or interpret them. These are spiritual experiences that happen spontaneously. They come in many forms and are usually quite personal. Some people have special signs that are unique to them. Here’s one touching story of undying love that I heard recently that reinforces this point.

Sand Dollars: Tokens of Love

They say that the sea speaks to the soul, and many times its sandy beaches hold very special treasures. Jeri and David had this beautifully romantic ritual that they always did together. They would head off to the local beach, not to watch the sunsets but to stroll, holding hands as they watched the beautiful ocean waves roll in. One thing they would usually do whenever they were on this specific beach was to look for sand dollars that had washed ashore. It was their special time together, and it would be rare for them not to bring a few sand dollars home. Every token became a special memory of their romantic walks together. Little did they know that one of these cherished treasures would someday mean more than they could ever have imagined.

They married and had a daughter, Riley, and two boys, Tegan and Logan. Everything seemed almost perfect. It came as a terrible shock when David developed an aggressive cancer and passed away far too quickly. Jeri lost the love of her life and her best friend; their children lost a doting father.

One day, some months after David passed, Jeri was hanging out in the living room with her youngest son, Logan, who was 14 years old at the time. They’d both been thinking about David a lot recently. Logan was starting a new school year, his first year in high school, and she knew that he wished his dad could be there for support on this big day. Sensing Logan’s mood, Jeri reached out and whispered, “Do you want to join me for a walk down on Sand Dollar Beach?” Before she’d even finished asking, Logan had hopped off the couch with a smile and run to the door. That was his answer!

It was the first week in September, and the beach was practically deserted. Without a word, they both started looking for sand dollars, just as Jeri and David had done together so many times before. They walked up and down the beach, pushing mounds of sand aside, scouring the shore for their treasure. Yet no matter how hard they looked, they couldn’t find a single sand dollar. Logan’s face couldn’t hide his frustration and disappointment. Jeri looked up to the sky and said in her mind, David, please send us a sign. Logan is starting school tomorrow, and he really could use a hello from Heaven from you right now.

Jeri turned away for a moment, so Logan wouldn’t see the tear trickling down her face. It was then that she noticed a small boat approaching the shore. She could have sworn it wasn’t there before, and she didn’t know where it had come from. The man in the boat stood up waving and yelling, “Hi! Are you looking for sand dollars?”

 “Yes!” the two yelled back in unison, a resounding roar of excitement.

The man smiled and pointed, “Give that sand bar over there a try!”

Jeri and Logan thanked the man and ran across the beach. She glanced back for a second, but he’d already turned the boat around and left. She thought how strange it was that this man hadn’t asked them if they were looking for shells, sea glass, or even heart rocks. Instead, he’d specially mentioned sand dollars!

Logan ran ahead excitedly, hoping to find just one memento. He soon saw, to his amazement and delight, a crisp sand dollar sticking out of the sand! Then another and then another lay before him. The more they looked, the more they found.

Jeri smiled as she heard her son shouting in joy, “Mom, Mom, here’s another one!” They found so many, they filled every pocket they had. As they walked back up the shore, they counted a total of 43 sand dollars. Logan looked up at her, smiling, his eyes full of tears. “Mom, this is better than winning the lottery!”

In her heart, Jeri knew it had been David who’d helped them. She closed her eyes as she felt a gentle breeze caress her face like a kiss. Her skin tingled with his presence. 

Logan kept asking, “Mom, how did the guy in the boat know what we were looking for? I bet it was Dad saying hi!” 

I’m sure there will be many more sand dollars (and other ADCs) waiting for Jeri and her family. They will always bring back happy memories of the sun, the laughs, the carefree walks, the gentle embraces, and the loving kisses that will be treasured always. Simple signs can be profound. A special symbol, unique to you, has a way of filling your heart. Now, whenever Jeri walks along that special beach, whether alone or with her children, she knows that David is right beside her.

Find out about upcoming programs with John Holland at Kripalu.

Excerpted with permission from Bridging Two Realms: Learn to Communicate with Your Loved Ones on the Other-Side, © 2018, by John Holland.